There are many, many horror movies I love… I think that’s pretty obvious, but there are less that I can watch over and over again, and always enjoy. Slither(written and directed by James Gunn) is one of those films. It’s funny, and gory, and gross, and as many times as I’ve watched it, I have never grown tired of it.

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So what is it that I love so much about Slither?

Alien Invasions and Mind Control

Some of my favorite horror/sci-fi films take on the alien invasion topic (The Thing, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Faculty, Night of the Creeps), and Slither holds its place up there with these other films. The thought of an alien species crashing into Earth, and taking over through parasitic creatures is creepy. I love the fact that Slither has these creatures share a collective consciousness that binds them all together with the purpose of taking over the world. Not only do they infiltrate the humans and bring their history/knowledge with them, they also retain some memories/thoughts of the person they are taking over.

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This movie is HILARIOUS

Horror-comedy is another of my favorite sub-genres of horror, and once again, Slither does a great job as blending humor into the film in a natural way. This film never feels forced, or like a parody, but rather is comedic in a loving way.. not as a way to make fun of the genre. This movie is very raunchy at times (especially the character of the mayor played by Gregg Henry), but in a wonderfully hilarious way. I especially love the descriptions of Grant’s transformation, as he is describes as looking like a squid… and I love that the mayor’s explanation of what is wrong is to say he must have Lyme disease.

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Grossness Factor

The effects in this movie are great, especially Grant’s transformation, and by great, I pretty much mean gross. As Grant transforms he becomes more and more disfigured. His face becomes disfigured (something he attributes to a bee sting), he then grows tentacles out of his stomach (which he will use to plant his offspring), and eventually he will absorb his victims into a huge, slimy, monster. Brenda’s transformation is also disgusting, as she grows huge and becomes a giant pulsating ball of worm-like aliens.

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Smart and Likable Characters

I also love the cast and characters in the film. You have the raunchy, crazy mayor. The love-struck and laid-back sheriff, Bill (played by Nathan Fillion– who I always enjoy seeing in films), who has to take charge of the situation. You have Grant Grant (played by Michael Rooker), who starts as a devoted husband, and remains so even through his deterioration into hideous alien creature. And you have Starla (played by Elizabeth Banks), Grant’s wife, and Bill’s love interest, who actually makes smart decisions, such as tricking Grant into dropping his defenses so that she can try to kill him.

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So those are some of the things I love about Slither! It’s an awesome film, and I highly recommend it!